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Watergate Figure Charles Colson Honored At National Cathedral

By: Armando Trull // May 16, 2012
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Charles Colson became an evangelical preacher after going to prison for his role in the Watergate scandal.
ChuckColson.org
Charles Colson became an evangelical preacher after going to prison for his role in the Watergate scandal.

Charles Colson was honored at Washington's National Cathedral today. The disgraced Nixon official became an influential evangelical preacher to prison inmates.

He was remembered by his daughter Emily as a man who placed God first and family second. She praised his work as the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, an evangelical group he began in 1976 to bring faith to inmates and reform the prison system.

Colson had a "come to Jesus" moment and was born again in 1973 while imprisoned for his role in the Watergate scandal. He was considered Nixon's hatchet man by many and described himself as ruthless in getting things done for the President.

In an excerpt from his website, Colson explains why: "I ended up going to prison. Why? I think you can be so self-righteous that you don't see what is going on."

He was 80 when he died in April, as a retired marine captain, he was buried at Quantico.

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